Electronic devices of this type are used in particular for decentralized modular control systems. A number of such electronic devices are attached one next to the other to a carrier rail. A head module at the beginning of such a row of electronic devices is embodied as a field bus coupler or as a field bus controller. A control program can run in a field bus controller, control the field bus components that can be connected to the single electronic device, or collect data from the field bus component and evaluate said data using the control program and use said data to further control the field bus devices. Such field bus devices can be actuators, sensors or other devices.
With the aid of the plug contacts on the side walls, a data bus is established that can be used to exchange data between the head module and the electronic devices and where necessary between the electronic devices themselves. This data can be control data, measurement data or another other data. With the aid of the plug contacts on the side walls of the electronic devices, a continuous voltage supply is furthermore provided for the electronic devices so as to supply the electronic components of the electronic device with electrical power. Furthermore, plug contacts can be provided on the side walls and preferably spaced apart with respect to the plug contacts for the data bus and the system voltage supply so as to provide a power supply with which the field bus components that are connected to the electronic devices are supplied with electrical power. These plug contacts are mostly designed for a considerably greater current flow than the plug contacts for the system voltage supply and for the data bus.
A module control device is known for example from DE 10 2011 110 182 A1, wherein the electronic devices are embodied in three parts with a base module, an electronic module that can be attached to said base module, and a conductor connecting module that can be attached to the electronic module. The conductor connecting module has conductor connecting contacts for connecting electrical conductors. When the conductor connecting module is in the state in which it is plugged onto the electronic module, the individual conductor connecting contacts can be connected to the electronic module in an electrically conductive manner. By virtue of plugging the electronic module onto the base module, the electronic module is connected in an electrically conductive manner to the plug contacts on the side walls of the base module. The base module has a latching base for attaching the base module to a carrier rail. The conductor connecting module can be detached from the electronic module, so that in order to replace the electronic module, for example in the case of a defective electronic system, it is not necessary to unclamp the electrical lines individually from the electronic device. The conductor connecting module is connected at an end face wall in an articulated manner to the electronic module. The electronic module for its part can be connected on the opposite side in an articulated manner to the base module. The conductor connecting module is received in a pivotable manner in a bearing that is provided on an elastically resilient latching arm of the electronic module. The latching arm has an actuating lug that protrudes into a latching opening of the base module. As a result, the electronic module can be pivoted downwards from the base module together with the conductor connecting module by virtue of actuating the latching arm.
In the case of this known electronic device, it is possible in a very simple manner even during operation to pull the electronic module together with the conductor connecting module away from the base module. This can lead to considerable problems in the controlled system if the electronic module etc. is for example unintentionally pulled off during the running operation.